Beyond the Crowds: Discovering the Hidden Alleys of Hoi An

Hoi An is famous for its lantern-filled streets, colourful shop houses, and lively atmosphere. At times, the old town can feel crowded with visitors exploring its cafés, tailor shops, and riverside markets. Yet the true magic of Hoi An often begins once you step away from the main streets and wander into its quieter corners.

Behind the busy avenues are narrow alleys, hidden courtyards, and old ancestral homes where time seems to move more slowly. These forgotten streets often hold stories that never appear in guidebooks.

One afternoon, while searching for a small thrift store tucked away in a less attractive alley, I unexpectedly discovered the Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel. Hidden behind old walls and shaded by trees, the chapel felt untouched by the noise of the tourist centre. As I paused to admire it, an elderly man suddenly invited me inside his ancestral home.

Over tea, he began sharing the remarkable history of the Nguyen Tuong family, one of the most respected intellectual families in Vietnam during the early twentieth century. The family produced scholars, officials, and writers who played an important role during the final years of the imperial era and the country’s cultural transformation.

Among the most famous members was Nhat Linh, born Nguyen Tuong Tam. He became one of Vietnam’s most influential modern writers and founded the “Tu Luc Van Doan” — the Self-Reliance Literary Group — a movement that helped modernise Vietnamese literature and encouraged new ideas about society, education, and individual freedom. Beyond literature, Nhat Linh also played an important political role during a critical moment in Vietnamese history, briefly serving as Vietnam’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1946. His ideas and writings deeply influenced generations of Vietnamese readers and intellectuals.

The old man also spoke proudly about Nguyen Tuong Van, another important figure of the family. Nguyen Tuong Van served as a high-ranking mandarin during the Nguyen Dynasty and was known for his loyalty and role within the imperial administration. Families like the Nguyen Tuong lineage were deeply connected to the scholar-official tradition of Vietnam, where education, public service, and respect for culture were considered essential values passed from generation to generation.

The Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel itself remains an important symbol of that heritage. More than a religious or family space, it reflects the long history of Hoi An’s scholarly families and preserves memories of a changing Vietnam. Listening to these stories inside the quiet ancestral home felt like stepping into another era.

What began as a simple walk through a hidden alley became one of the most meaningful moments in Hoi An — a reminder that the city’s greatest treasures are often found far beyond its crowded streets.